


What is Set in Stone

by EstaJay



Category: LinkedUniverse - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: (though not explicit), Angst, Courtesy of the LU Discord, Fallen Hero Timeline, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Semi-Graphic Description of Injury, Time is not going to have a good time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-03-26 07:15:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19000963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstaJay/pseuds/EstaJay
Summary: The Heroes find themselves in the Fallen Timeline.





	1. The Graveyard

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the angst headcanons on the LU Discord. Cross-posted on Tumblr.

A solemn silence engulfed the group as clusters of trees fell away to lines of tombstones.

The King’s Tomb was the last place that Hyrule would ever want to bring anyone. Once upon a time it had been a royal something or other but now it was a burial site for all the unclaimed dead. It was customary for any unknown corpse to be buried here - to give the deceased a dignity that they never had in life.

“It’s gotten larger since I was last here.” Legend said.

Oh right, this was Legend’s timeline as well - Legend’s future. It was so easy to forget that he was Link the Hero of Legend despite it literally being his nickname. Hyrule never knew the stories of Skyloft migration or the defeat of Ganondorf, there had only ever been one Link preserved in their tales.

“What...what is this place?”

“A graveyard of course.” Legend scoffed.

Hyrule sharply elbowed him in the side. “This is the King’s Tomb - though don’t let the name fool you. It’s a burial site for dead no one has claimed...”

Hyrule explained the sacred funeral rites with the same casual normality as Wind had the Great Sea or Sky had loftwings with a quip here and there from Legend noting how things had changed since his time. It was obvious how unnerved the others were, even Wild whose Hyrule was in an arguably a worse state than their own. This was simply one of the facts of life.

Ganon was released. Monsters attacked. People died. Ganon was resealed. Monsters still attacked. People kept dying.

That was simply the land he was the Hero of.

He didn’t notice Time break away from the group until the older hero was standing at one of the graves. It was ancient, easily one of the oldest in the whole graveyard, but other than the weathered stone and overgrown moss it was identical to every other blank marker.

“This one’s mine, isn’t it?” Time said with unnerving calm, as if he was picking out his travel pack from a pile.

“What do you mean, old man? You’re standing right here, not seven feet under.” Warrior joked, slapping Time in the back with a bit too much force.

But Time shook his hand off and turned to Hyrule and Legend with a resigned smile. “Tell me about the Fallen Hero.”

“The one who died just before Ganon was first sealed?” Hyrule said. “There’s not much too tell. His story has been lost to time-”

And it clicked.

Fuck, _that’s_ where their timelines diverge?

Legend was stunned into a similar silence. He had his suspicions based on the folktales he had heard throughout his adventures. A hero in green emerging from the forest. A seven year disappearance. A devastating defeat. He had always thought that the Hero of Time came after the Fallen Hero but no.

They were one in the same.

Wind was the one who finally broke the silence. “But...but you’re the hero, _the_ Hero of Time...you can’t...you couldn’t have-”

Oh right. The Hero of Time was honoured and celebrated for defeating Ganon in Wind’s time. Boys dressed in green to inspire courage and ‘Link’ was a ridiculously popular name. To hear that his Legendary Hero could, and in another time _had,_ fail -

“I’m only human.” was the only response Time offered.

Wind shook his head in disbelief. “But-”

Warrior placed laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder and guided him away with a sympathetic smile.

“We’ll get started on camp.” Warrior said. “You guys take as much time as you need.”

Four and Sky immediately followed behind them. Twilight, steering a dumbfound Wild, started in another direction claiming to hunt for dinner.

Then there were three.

“We...we don’t blame you.” Hyrule said. He paused, expecting Legend to drop his snark for once and support him on this one.

Instead Legend asked, “How old were you?”

“Physically? Sixteen.” Time said, however it was accompanied by that wry smile that said much more.

“But mentally-” Then Legend cut himself off. He already knew the answer. “...I’ll join the others.”

Legend walked away, internally cursing the Golden Goddesses. They sent a _child_ after the Demon King, what else were they expecting. It was a miracle that the other timelines existed in the first place.

Legend didn’t spare the graveyard a second glance...but he knew which one was his. So he wouldn’t get to be buried in his family lot with his uncle. He would just be another young and unfortunate body found on the road, left to rest in a nameless grave.


	2. The Shade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: semi-graphic description of injury ahead

_This was the moment seven years in the making. The confrontation with the wicked man in black. With Ganondorf._

_A young boy in the body of a man stood before the castle gates. Defeat Ganondorf, rescue the Princess and bring peace to Hyrule. Simple, right?_

_Link steeled his courage and entered - ready for his final battle._

* * *

It was truly an experience to be able to venture forth into other Hyrules. Though essentially the same land, time had made all the difference. From the beginning of the kingdom to the wide expanses of wilderness to the vastness of the seas, each Hyrule was distinctly its own land. There was no chance in ever mistaking one for another. 

There was no mistaking _this_ Hyrule for any other. 

A sense of dread and darkness was embedded into the land. The wind carried a sharp chill. The land consisted of nothing but barren dirt for as far as the eye can see. Any sense of friendliness or comradery was non-existent among the citizens. Travellers never exchanged smiles or greetings, just suspicious glances as people tensely crossed the road.  

“Is it always like...this?” Sky asked.

Hyrule turned to him with a confused look. “Like what?”

Sky struggled to find the right words. Wasn’t it obvious? “This sense of...foreboding, danger...like-”

“Like someone’s going to come along and stab you in the back?” Legend interrupted. “Yeah that’s normal.”

That caused the rest of the group to stop.

“Did something happen?”

Legend shrugged. “Nothing out of the ordinary. You sealed Ganon away, what - a year ago?”

“Two years.” Hyrule said. 

Legend nodded. “Right, so we’re at the start of the cycle. There’s another fifty so years before the seal weakens and Ganon returns unless his followers find a way to fast track that.”

Hyrule snorted. “They won’t be getting their hands on my blood anytime soon. We also have a minor succession crisis considering there are two Princess Zeldas but neither have the majority support of the noble houses, not to mention the remnants of the last civil war…”

“That still a thing? Huh, would have thought they would have petered out by now.”

The other Links fell silent as the timeline’s local heroes talked about political upheaval and unrest as if it were as mundane as the weather. 

“Is this...normal?” Wild asked. 

 “The civil war or the succession crisis? Both happen pretty much any time there’s more than one strong contender for the throne regardless of whether one of the heirs even _wants_ to rule.” Legend said bitterly, implying that it was something more personal. “War breaks out whenever the nobles are feeling particularly pissy and think they can make a power grab.”

“But what about the people?” Twilight said. 

Legend gave a sardonic laugh. “Too busy dying. There’s plague, famine, monsters, war, conspiracy -”

“Cuccos.” Hyrule added.

 Legend shivered. “ _Cuccos._ Look, the nobility play their games, the common folk go about their lives and every once in a while,Ganon gets unsealed so the sages scramble around like idiots until some kid off the road holds Ganon off long enough to get him resealed. If you survive that, congrats! You’re a hero. If not, you’re a footnote.”   
_Time_ had made all the difference. 

They all turned to the oldest hero who had begun lagging behind since the conversation started. 

“You okay there old man? Is your age catching up to you?” Warriors joked, attempting to lighten the mood. Their last stop still weighed on everyone. 

“I’ll be fine.” Time said, straightening his posture out of a barely-noticeable slouch. “This place just brings back some old memories. That’s all.”

Any chatter ended there as the heroes continued down the barren road. Instead of taking his customary place leading the group, Time still hung near the back. 

Legend casually made his way to the front, making his normal comments and jabs as he joined Hyrule at the head of their procession.

“He’s got a limp.” Legend said lowly.

Hyrule curtly nodded. “Since the King’s Tomb.”

“This road...it’s the Fallen March, isn’t it?”

The Fallen March - the road which a triumphant Ganon had paraded his defeated foe down in chains. The stories were clear, the Demon King had not given the Fallen Hero a quick death. 

Hyrule kept his head raised as not to betray any weakness. He hoped that whatever magic guiding them would take them away from his home soon. 

* * *

_“Watch out!” Navi yelled._

_Link had heard the warning but he was too exhausted, too slow, too_ weak, _to dodge the incoming blow. The sword, the_ oh so great _Master Sword, was knocked out of his hand._

_Ganondorf’s blade slashed his side, cutting through clothes, flesh and dammit, all the  way down to his ribs._

_Zelda cried out but nothing could be done. The battle was loss._

_Link fell to his knees, hands pressed against his gaping wound. Blood, there was so much blood. He was losing too much too quickly. Light-headed and faint, he glared up at his foe in one final act of defiance._

_And he truly felt like the weak pathetic child he always was._

* * *

The monster hordes were a familiar and welcomed break to all the heroes. If there was one thing that eased volatile emotions, it was combat. Hyrule hadn’t meant to lead them into the monster-infested ruins of Old Kasuto but slaying invisible flying eyeballs was the kind of therapy that they all needed. 

“Sword beams are the most effective against the moa!” Hyrule yelled as he charged his Magic Sword for another beam. 

“It would be nice if we could actually _see_ them.” Legend snarked, making another blind slash in the vague direction of where he had been hit.   
Oh right, the Kasuto moa were invisible to anyone who didn’t have a cross and Hyrule didn’t have any extra to spare. 

Warriors was spewing flames everywhere with his fire rod to provide cover for Wild who was doing some emergency first aid on Four. 

Wind, though he was flailing just as wildly as the others, was having the most success with actually hitting his foes. Sky sadly was in the opposite situation with each of hits missing as more moa swarmed around him, sensing his depleting stamina. Luckily Wolfie was able to come to his aid, mauling the monsters with more accuracy than any of the others. 

Twilight and Time were out of sight but he had faith they could hold their own. 

Seeing that they were gaining no ground against moa, Hyrule drew back and tried to find a vantage point where he could see the entire battle field.  
_“Goddess Farore grant me your wrath,”_ Hyrule incanted as electricity surged through his veins. _“THUNDER!”_

It was instantaneous. Thunder and lightning fell from the sky, striking all the moa and leaving nothing but piles of ash. The battle was over. 

Hyrule panted as he leaned against his sword to catch his breath. Damn, if only that spell didn’t take so much out of him.

“That really was something else.” Warriors said, slinging his arm around Hyrule and helping him back to the group. “Think you can teach me that someday?”

“You’re gonna...need to max out your magic power first.” Hyrule said. 

Wild already had his pot and collection of elixirs out, fussing over the injuries before anyone could protest. Twilight had found his way back to the group, clearly exhausted but looking slightly less worn down in comparison. 

“Is it even safe to set up camp here?” Twilight asked.   
“Can’t you feel the residue magic buzzing in the air? Nothing’s going to come near here for at least a month.” Legend said, though Hyrule also heard him mutter, “...the fuck happened to Kasuto…”  

“Here,” Hyrule said, pushing himself off of Warriors. “I know a couple healing spells-”

“No fucking way are you doing any more magic after that,” Legend snapped. “You’ve already saved our asses once, take a break will you.”

Before Hyrule could protest, Warriors asked, “Has anyone seen the old man?”

“No.”

“Haven’t seen him.”

“I thought he was with you.”

“I think I saw him over there…”

“We’ll look for him.” Legend said, grabbing Hyrule by the shoulder.

“But isn’t he still-”

“Look if he stays here, he’s going to try and magic someone back to health. It’s better he burns off the adrenaline this way. Besides,” Legend smirked. “This is our Hyrule.”

Time must have wandered off pretty far because they were halfway through the ruins and they hadn’t seen a single hair of him. Hyrule was desensitized to the sight of the abandoned village but Legend’s mutterings told a different story. Kasuto must still be a thriving town in his time and they knew the time between their eras wasn’t as large as they hoped it would. 

“They built a new town y’know.” Hyrule said.

“Huh?”

“The survivors. There’s new Kasuto and they’ve hidden it well.”

“That’s...nice.”

“Yeah, though the folks were a little weird. I had to go through a chimney.”

Legend snorted. “You sure that wasn’t home invasion?”  
Then a glint of metal caught Hyrule’s eye. He and Legend raced towards it and they found Time and -

_Fuck._

The man’s face was swollen with a mess of bruises, completely covered with red and purpling bulges. He was on his knees and panting, just barely staying upright as his hands kept a death grip on his sword. There had to be a couple broken ribs if not a punctured lung with how heavily he was breathing. Blood stained the sides of his chainmail and who knows how many more injuries were hidden underneath his armour. 

“Old man!” Legend cried, running to Time’s aid. 

Fuck magic exhaustion, there was no way Time was going to make it back to camp _alive_ without any healing _now._

 _“Goddesses of old, bear pity on this poor mortal soul-”_ Hyrule chanted.

But before he could finish his healing incantation, a ghostly figure hovered over Time. The spectre was gone before he could get a good look and as it flickered out of sight, so did most of Time’s injuries.

Hyrule exchanged a look with Legend. He had seen the ghost too. 

“How’d you get all the way out here?” Legend asked as he helped Time onto his feet.

 _“Didn’t…”_ Time said but his voice was significantly higher. Boyish, child-like and definitely in great pain. _“...they...the wicked man...pig...monster…”_

“Old man?” Hyrule said, supporting him from the other side. 

That snapped Time out of whatever trance he was in. He looked at the two heroes at his sides in confusion. 

“When did you get here?” He asked, his voice restored to his steady baritone. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living, old man.” Legend said lightly. “Thought we would’ve had to drag a corpse back.”

Hyrule threw him a sharp look. He would have kicked Legend too if Time wasn’t between them. That was completely inappropriate. Especially considering _whatever_ they saw. 

“Let’s get back to the others.” Hyrule said instead.

From then on, Hyrule and Legend kept a close eye on Time. 

The older hero wasn’t just lagging, he was falling behind the rest of the group. It wasn’t immediately noticeable but had Hyrule not purposely slowed down their pace, there was a good chance they may have accidentally left Time behind. There was the limp and the heavy breathing and every so often the blood and bruises would reemerge. 

And they were all still in the same Hyrule, the longest stay to date. 

This couldn’t go on for any longer. 

* * *

_The power of the Triforce consumed him._

_The Gerudo King Ganondorf was no more._

_Now, there was only the Demon King Ganon._

_And Ganon would show no mercy to those who defied him._

_The Fallen Hero did not have a quick death._

* * *

Time woke up for his night watch right on schedule. The pains he had been feeling since they came to this Hyrule still persisted. It was pins sticking into his veins and a weariness that penetrated into his bones. He refused to admit it but it had only gotten worse since the graveyard. However, it wasn’t something that he should be bothering the others about. 

To his surprise, found Hyrule at the post alongside Legend. They were waiting for him. Time felt his gut plummet. The heroes of this timeline. The heroes who were forced into their adventures because he _failed._  

“Hey,” Hyrule said with a smile, moving over slightly to make room for the fire. “It’s been a quiet night, eh?”

But Time didn’t sit down. 

Hyrule frowned and sighed. 

“We need to talk, old man.” Legend said bluntly.

And there is was. He knew this was coming. The boys said they didn’t blame him but Time knew those were just empty words - a polite courtesy while they stood on his grave. Their pain, their struggles, their _entire ruined world_ was all his fault. 

His fault.

His fault.

_It’s all my fault!_

_Pain blossomed in his side again - like Ganon had made his final blow afresh. Blood ran like water down a river, flowing freely and unconstrained by fleshy walls. It was the deepest wound Ganon had inflicted but it wasn’t the only one._ Far _from the only one. Ganon wouldn’t let him die - not until his entire world had been blotted out by pain._

_And -_

Time violently stumbled back into reality. His mind was an incoherent fuzzy mess like the first, and last, time he had gone drinking with Talon. The pain, however, was gone. Completely gone. 

Hyrule was panting, the soft glow of residue magic radiating off him. Legend stood tall, Time’s Lens of Truth in hand and paler than the full moon. 

“What-?”

A faint flicker caught his eye. Time turned to see the ghostly figure of...himself - nine-years-old and dressed in Kokiri green.

 _“Hello other me.”_ The shade said. 

“The Fallen Hero.” Legend whispered.

The shade turned to him and threw him a bright innocent smile. _“Hello Hero of Legend, my successor.”_

“ _Fu-fuck…”_ Legend muttered, the Lens of Truth falling from his hands as he took several shaking steps back. “The stories were true...they did send - those bastards fucking expected _a child_ -”

Hyrule panted as he forced himself back onto his feet. Legend was too shaken and there was no way they were going to expect Time to do this…

“Fallen Hero.” Hyrule said boldly, drawing himself up to his full height. 

 _“Hero of Hyrule.”_ the shade responded. He held his arms open, gesturing he was willing to answer any question. 

Hyrule knew of no other Link, of no other hero, other than the Hero of Legend and his many adventures. All other tales had been lost to time. He never sought out the origins of Ganon’s reincarnation cycle like Legend obviously had. There was nothing tying him to shade other than the torment it caused Time.

The shade now took the form of a young child, completely blemishless - a stark contrast to how it first appeared when they had forced it out of Time. Ganon had not given the Fallen Hero a quick death. 

“Why did you do it?” Hyrule asked. “Why were you forcing your old injuries onto Time?”

The shade frowned. A darkness that spoke of great pain hovered over his eyes. _“Other me is still me and I am dead here.”_

“That’s torture.” Hyrule growled.

 _“That’s mercy.”_ The shade corrected. _“It could be_ much _worse.”_

Hyrule took several steps forward until he was standing directly over the shade. “How much so?”

The shade looked completely unfazed. In fact, it looked amused. _“I’ll leave him to fate then.”_ A great wind blew over the clearing, extinguishing their campfire as the shade faded from existence. _“I did warn you.”_

Then all was quiet. 


	3. The Loop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is it that chapter lengths increase exponentially? This was all supposed to be three quick drabbles but this chapter turned out twice as long as the other two combined! I'm bumping up the rating to M for this but please tell me if it needs to go even further.  
> TW: Major Character Death (s), Implied/Referenced Suicide (?) (Better safe than sorry)  
> Chapter originally live written on discord.  
> Also there is a Random Encounters reference.

For another week, nothing happened.

For another week, they were still in the same Hyrule.

Time was back at full health and was once again leading the group with a surprising amount of energy.

"Something gotten into you old man?" Warriors asked, sticking close to Time's side at the head of the group.

Time gave a sly smile. "Nothing much. I just don't want to let you young ones out do me."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Will you take it as one?"

Warriors smirked. "Then how are you feeling for a spar when we set up camp?"

Meanwhile, directly behind them, Legend and Hyrule observed Time's every movement.  Though Legend was having a light banter with Sky and Hyrule was explaining the local terrain to Wild, both were conversing through discrete signs.

[He doesn't have a limp]

[He's been breathing fine]

[Have you seen any injuries?]

[Nothing that couldn't have been explained by our last fight...have you seen the ghost?]

[...no]

Neither Hyrule, Legend nor Time had elected to tell the others about their encounter with the Fallen Hero. None of the other heroes seemed to notice Time's unexplained injuries or rather, had chosen not to comment on them. Warriors had been sticking closer to Time than normal, always by his side for conversation or company. Wild and Twilight would immediately flank him the moment they encountered any monsters. Sky would always insist on a break whenever it looked like he was pushing himself and Wind would jump in and second the break should Time start protesting. Four was prodding with simple, non-committal questions that implied nothing and everything. 

No, the others knew something was up. However since no one asked, no one was going to tell. 

It could have all been a bluff. The shade of the Fallen Hero was jealous, Legend had suggested, mad that the person he could have been was being paraded before him. Hyrule, however, refused to fall complacent. One wrong move and they would be heading straight back to the King's Tomb.

"Hey, old man! You need to oil your armour?" Legend called, noticing the clinking noises that had been increasing as they travelled. 

"Possibly." Time responded.

"What convinced you to travel in full plate armour?" Twilight asked. "It's a pain to maintain on the road."

"Someone has to be able to take hits with something other than his face." Time said.

"Hey! Low blow, old man." Wild huffed. "That was one time!"

"One time too many."

"Maybe you should keep a pot lid on hand at all times." Four said, half-jokingly. 

Hyrule gave an exaggerated gasp."Then what are we supposed to used for dinner?!"

"The Hylian Shield of course."

 While they all enjoyed the light banter, Time subtly adjusted his chest plate. He wouldn't admit it to the others but his armour had been feeling looser recently, oddly correlating with his new found energy. But nothing explicitly bad had happened, so there was no need to worry the boys. He would tell them if something did happen. He definitely would.

* * *

Warriors panted, leaning on his sword after his spar with Time. "Is it just me or have you gotten faster, old man?" 

"Maybe you're just out of shape captain." Legend jeered, ducking out of the way to avoid a playful swipe.

Time hefted his sword over his shoulder. "Who's up for another round?"

"How are you not winded after all that?" Warriors gasped.

"The two of you have been sparing for quite a while. There's no need to push yourselves." Sky said.

"I'm fine." Time said. "I've just been feeling more energized than I have in years."

Hyrule was by the campfire peeling some vegetables for dinner. He noticed it as Warriors stood back up to his full height while Time was trying to coerce him into another match.

"...is it just me or has the old man gotten shorter?" 

That got everyone's attention. 

Warriors opened his mouth about to make some remark but then straightened up and found he and Time were at the same eye level. 

"Age shrinking you down, old man?" Legend teased but he was holding his hand horizontal to the two heroes and yes, Time was shorter than he should be. 

"Everything has been fine." Time said a little more forceful than necessary. 

Maybe his ears might had been fooling him but Twilight swore he heard Time's voice crack.

Wild grabbed the half-peeled carrot from Hyrule's hand and quickly cut it up and threw it into the pot. 

"Dinner is ready." He announced, bringing the oncoming argument to a halt.

They would all definitely interrogate the old man later but they were all going to do it on a full stomach. At least if an argument broke out, no one would  storm off and go hungry for the night. 

* * *

The increase in energy, the loss in height and the cracking voice - it could all be discounted had they all happened separately. However there was no ignoring the fact that the resident 30-something hero looked closer to his late teens instead. 

Time tried denying that was impossible once he was too small for his armour. Wild lent him some clothes, the traditional green attire that no one had seen him where before, and stored Time's now over-sized armour away in his Sheikah Slate. 

It was disturbing how young Time looked. His scars and markings had long since faded, leaving his cheeks softer and rounder while shaving another couple years off the sixteen he claimed this body was. What sharp edges he had from his nose and a jawline were disproportionate to his other features and only made him look more childish.  

"Did you get hit by something while we were in that invisible monster place?" Twilight asked. 

"Possibly." Time answered. Though normally he gave off the air of age and wisdom, now he looked every inch of a kid trying to avoid a topic.

Legend gently nudged at Hyrule. [Does a deaging spell even exist?]

[No.] Hyrule signed back. 

There was only one explanation to this. 

"There's nothing to worry about." Time said. He tried to sound reassuring but all he got was several voice cracks. "I defeated Ganondorf at this age. I know how to fight in this body."

* * *

Hyrule's land didn't have the most monsters, that prize went to Wild's Hyrule and the numerous times their spontaneous dimension hopping had landed them in the middle of a monster camp. However, every monster in this Hyrule was out for the hero's blood.

Hyrule and Wild were the first on the offensive when the traveller they had stopped to help turned into a bat-monster but the sudden ambush of Aches and Achemen had caught them all off guard. 

Most of their enemies' attention was focused on Hyrule thus the others had flanked the local hero, providing support as they were mobbed by monsters. 

Sky and Warriors were at Hyrule's side in the thick of the monsters while Wild and Legend were further out whitling down the enemy numbers with ranged attacks. Wind and Four were making use of their smaller stature to weave through the enemy lines while Twlight used his raw strength to ram through their defences to create openings for the others to exploit.

Time was on his own. He was used to fighting alone. He insisted on fighting alone. He knew how to fight with body. The others efforts would be more effective directed at supporting Hyrule and keeping him safe. However he had yet to fully readapt to his younger body. He didn't have the same strength. He didn't have the same range. 

It was only one enemy. A single acheman that had singled Time out from the group. Time was on the defensive, using a borrowed sword and shield more suited for his new stature. Even with his diminished capabilities he should have been able to beat this monster easily - yet here he was, forced to take step after step backwards after each of his opponent's blows. The monster's blood wasn't black and there was nothing to indicate that it was any stronger than the other dozen monsters he had already cut down but Time was struggling. 

Time wasn't looking where he was going. All his attention was focused solely on the monster in front of him. He took another step back - and there was nothing there. He lost balance and the monster made a deep swipe at his chest, a large gash running from his shoulder to his opposite hip.

Then, Time fell.

* * *

The others saw Time fall. They all screamed as a second wind filled their breath and fresh adrenaline pumped through their veins. They made short work of their attackers after that, the monsters either slain or fled once they saw that the tide of battle had turned. 

"We're too high up." Hyrule said, holding Wild back from paragliding down the ravine.

Wild growled. "We can't just leave him down there! He's injured, he needs medical attention-"

"He's dead." Legend said plainly. 

"Now's not the time for your stupid jokes!" Twilight yelled. 

"Does it look like I'm joking to you?!" Legend yelled back. Then, coldly and methodically, he explained, "That ravine is a couple hundred metres deep and he fell straight from the top right to the bottom. If he didn't die on impact, then he's likely to be completely paralyzed."

"But-"

"And do we even have the medicine to treat him? Are we even in any shape to care for him?"

 The group fell silent. Their medical supplies were ridiculously low and they had yet to come across a friendly town to restock. The battle hadn't been easy. Sky and Warriors had collapsed to the ground barely conscious and the rest of them were barely able to stave off the exhaustion. Trying to go down for Time now would only result in another person dead. 

"There's a road that will lead us to the bottom of the ravine." Hyrule said, pointing down the path. "It'll be several hours but we should be able to reach Time before nightfall...then we can go to the King's Tomb."

There was no time for emotions now. They had to be pragmatic in order to keep the remaining members of their group alive. 

Wind remained glued to the cliff edge staring down at the fog below as if he could see the bottom, where his hero's body was splayed like a discarded ragdoll.

" _It seems you have been met with an unfortunate fate_." a voice whispered on the breeze.

Hyrule was just able to catch the flicker of figure dressed in green and soaked in blood, a sardonic smile across his face. 

* * *

They were tired, exhausted and completely drained both physically and emotionally. Absolutely no one was is any shape to travel and yet they pressed forward down the path. There was no way they were going to abandon one of their own. 

Hyrule and Legend lead the group, leaning against each other for support both with a magic rod in hand. They had to keep watch for the entire group. A least with magic weapons a simple wave will deal with their enemies. Wind and Four were behind them awkwardly carrying Sky between them. Height wise, it would have made more sense to have Hyrule and Legend carry him but given they were the most experienced with the land it was safer to have them leading. Twilight and Wild were shouldering Warriors between them which was more of a struggle. The knight was semi-conscious and insisting that he can walk on his own despite the contrary being obvious.

It was a funeral procession on its way to collect the body.

From the distance came three distinct tolls of a bell. Hyrule stopped in his tracks. There wasn't a town, let alone a bell tower for miles. The others had paused too, having heard the tolls. 

Then a wave of vertigo hit them all. A dizziness swelled in their heads and none of the heroes were able to remain upright. The world spun around them, the barren road shifting and changing to make way for trees and greenery. Moving between dimensions wasn't supposed to feel like this. Hyrule remained conscious enough to see the last of his Hyrule slip away before giving way to the darkness.

* * *

Hyrule awoke in a bed. He shot up immediately then instantly  regretted it as another wave of nausea overtook him. The others were all in similar states of wakeness, slowly coming to with various groans. 

"...this is Lon Lon Ranch." Twilight whispered.

And sure enough it was the same room they had shared when they had first visited Time's  home-

 _Fuck_.

"How are we going to explain it to Malon?" Wild breathed, voicing the one thought that was on everyone's mind. 

How were they going to tell her that Time was dead?  That somewhere his body laid unceremoniously dumped at the bottom of a cliff? How could they tell her as the past, future and alternate incarnations of her husband?

"Tell Malon what?"

Their heads all whipped to the doorway of room. It was Time. Not a scratch on him, fully adult and staring them all down with poorly hidden concern and confusion.

"Time." Wind choked. "You're alive. You're alive."

 The concern on the older hero's face grew. "What happened?"

Twilight was on the brink of tears. "You-"

"We found some illusionary shrooms just outside the ranch. You better clear those up before they knock out some poor traveller." Legend interrupted in his normal snarky tone as if he wasn't talking to a man he just saw die.

Four glared at him. "Legend wha-"

"Yeah, those things give ridiculously vivid dreams. Sometimes people in the same vicinity share the same one." Hyrule added just as casually.

Time looked completely unconvinced yet said, "At least that explains why I found you all unconscious in the woods. Take your time to recover. I'll be downstairs helping Malon with breakfast."

As soon as Time left and his footsteps had faded from hearing, Warriors turned to the downfall heroes and growled, "What the fuck was that?!"

"Was all that really just a dream?" Sky asked. 

 "Yes, no, I don't fucking know." Legend said, shaking his head in frustration. "All I know is that Time sure as fuck didn't know what was going on and there was no way I was going to let someone blurt out that he's supposed to be dead!"

"My injuries are all gone." Four noted. 

"But I'm still missing the things I lent to Time." Wild said, scrolling through his Sheikah Slate.

"Then what in the world is going on?" Hyrule muttered.

* * *

Time remembered nothing from the downfall timeline. Not the visit to the King's Tomb, not the encounter with the Fallen Hero, not deaging and dying...As far as he knew, they had never left Lon Lon Ranch. 

It was impossible to hide the tension at the breakfast table. They tried to act normal, they really did, but Twilight kept looking at Time as if he was going to disappear before his eyes. Wind refused to make eye contact. Sky flinched and stuttered when Time asked if he wanted to look after the cuccos again. Wild flung the serving spoon across the room when he and Time's and accidentally touched. 

But there was an unspoken rule between the heroes not to pry. Unless someone offered to explain or it looked like an issue that would be detrimental to the group, Time wouldn't ask any questions. 

The tension dissolved the longer they stayed at the Ranch and soon the heroes were willing to write it all off as a dream.The group of nine left the Ranch in high spirits, ready for whatever the quest that brought them altogether threw at them. 

The transition from one Hyrule to the next was as smooth and seamless as normal. One moment they were on the road towards Castle Town then the trees grew thicker and the well trodden path faded away to thick underbrush. 

A solemn silence engulfed the group as clusters of trees fell away to lines of tombstones.

They were back at the King's Tomb.

* * *

The heroes would arrive at the King's Tomb.

Time would be drawn to the grave of the Fallen Hero.

Time would gradually deage until he was sixteen again.

Time would die.

The remaining heroes would awaken just outside Lon Lon Ranch.

And then the cycle repeated.

Time remembered nothing.

The others remembered _everything_.

* * *

Time and Twilight were in the paddock tending their Eponas. 

"...but now she just takes it easy." Time said as he patted the nose of his trusty steed.

He noticed how Twilight was keeping his distance and the poorly hidden strain on his descendant’s face. The horses could sense it too, his Epona whining in Twilight’s direction while Twilight’s shuffled closer to her owner.

It wasn't his place to pry. "Y'know, I had some horse riding tales you might be interested in." Time said, hoping to ease Twilight's nerves. "There was this one time I had to mount her while up in a tree and she was in mid-gallop..."

* * *

"...and she was in quite a frenzied state to." Time said. 

"But this isn't a horse, it's a _lynel_." Twilight exclaimed, his eyes were locked on fight happening below them. He couldn't quite make out who was who but at least four people were down and the remaining three were struggling to hold off the monster.

Time glared at him, though it was distinctly less intimidating coming from a sixteen-year-old. "Look, what other choice do we have?" When Twilight responded with silence, he stood up and prepared himself to jump off the loft they had taken refuge on. "Distract it with some arrows as I mount it. Its weak point is on its back, right?"

Twilight mutely nodded as he notched a bow. "Please, stay safe."

Time gave a reassuring smirk as he leaped down into the fray.

The lynel bucked and kicked as Time slashed while mounted on its back and Twilight did the best he could to keep it occupied with a barrage of arrows. 

Then the monster gave a mighty kick and sent Time flying off.

The lynel collapsed with Time's sword impaled in its side but the hero had been flung into the rubble with the deafening crack of bone. 

Twilight immediately ran to his ancestor's only to find a thin streak of blood trailing from his chin as his head hanging limply from his shoulders.

* * *

Time whistled as Four skillfully hammered away at the horseshoe. 

"Watching you makes me wish I picked up the trade." Time said, leaning against one of the beams of the barn. 

Four froze for the briefest moment before starting to hammer away again. "You'll need to be able to stand a lot of heat." he said with a slight waver in his voice. 

 _Don't pry_ , Time reminded himself. "I assure you, I know how to deal with heat."

* * *

"We need to go down together." Time said as he stared down the line created by the hookshot.

The tower was on fire. The entire damn town was on fire. Below them looked like the fires of Din rather than an out of control bushfire. The hookshot line lead them straight over the hottest of the flames but on the other side was where the others were waiting safely with the evacuated townspeople.

"There's no way it  can support both our weight at the same time." Four argued. 

"Well I'm lighter than I normally am and not wearing armour. We should make it."

Before Four had a chance to protest, Time had already heaved him onto his back.

"Just hold on tight." He said with a smirk.

Then he threw his cap over the line and skidded down. 

Four heard the rope beginning to strain but Time heard it first.

In one clean movement, Time flung Four to the other side just as the rope snapped above them.

Four soared to safety but from the air he saw Time's body blackened in the flames until it was just another lump of charcoal.

* * *

"You shouldn't be so rough with preening." Sky said as he guided Time's hands over the wing of the cucco.

Time couldn't help but notice how the boy's hands were shaking despite his voice remaining even.

"You need to be gentle if you don't want to agitate them." Sky continued, speaking quicker than normal. "The others have told me about how ferocious a flock of angry cuccos can be."

Time gave a hearty laugh. "I assure you, I can outrun these birds before they can peck me to death-"

* * *

"...and a horde of monsters is nothing compared to a flock of angry cuccos." Time reassured him. 

Sky threw him a worried look. "Are you sure?"

"I'm certain." Time said. "I'll lead them away while you tend to the others."

And before Sky could get another word out Time had already jumped into the fray of battle, drawing all of the monsters aggression to himself through well placed attacks and insults. Soon Time was leading the furious horde away from the group, allowing Sky to jump in and tend to the most serious injuries among the other heroes.

They had all downed the potions in record speed yet by the time they were able to follow the trail, they found all the monsters had dispersed. All that was left on the trampled field a battered mangled body - limbs ripped clean off and skull shattered in pieces on the ground.

* * *

"Are you even paying attention captain?" Time called.

It was just some friendly banter during a quick spar yet Warriors had flinched so violently that the easily dodged attack from the wooden sword ended up smacking him right in the head. 

* * *

Warriors and Time were forced closer together by the moblins encircling them. He didn't see the moblin with the club until it was too late. It swung at his head but Time jumped in the way. 

There was the piercing crack of bone as the club collided with Time’s skull. 

* * *

Time watched as Legend and Wild tested their wide array of weapons, methodically checking each and every single one. Time noted that they were all ranged weapons.

"It's good that we have some backline support." Time said. "I just hope that we won't have any victims of friendly fire!"

* * *

Five arrows were released. 

One missed. 

Three hit monsters.

The last pierced through Time's right eye and straight through his head. 

* * *

Fireballs from meteor rods always bounced off every flat surface until they hit an enemy. 

Three fireballs missed the monster yet they all hit Time.

* * *

Wind was avoiding him. He refused to look Time in the eye and fled to room the moment he entered, sometimes going out the window if he had to.

Time wanted to ask what was wrong but he had no right to pry.

* * *

"Dammit, there's not enough potions." Time scowled.

He and Wind were the only ones still conscious after that brutal ambush. The monsters were gone but they had seven people on the brink of dying from fatal injuries and barely enough medicine to treat one. 

Wind's hands were shaking. 

He didn't want to do this. 

He couldn't do this.

But...

Time always came back. 

Could he say the same for the others?

He wasn't a coward. Wind made sure he was facing Time. He watched as shock morphed into despair as the life faded from his hero's eyes. 

Wind didn't move until they were all swept back to Lon Lon Ranch, sobbing as Time's body laid in his lap with his knife through his heart.

* * *

It had become routine. 

The body - it was only a body now, it stopped being Time the moment the breath left it - laid prone on the ground with a spear through its chest. 

Another death.

Another failure. 

This was one of the rare occasions that the  rest of the heroes were only lightly injured, the worst being Wild's sprained ankle.

(Maybe if he hadn't been so stupid to stumble off that cliff...)

(Maybe if he had been keeping better watch...)

(Maybe if he was just a little bit faster...)

They buried the body in a shallow grave. They always tried  to give every body some respect. Sky said a few words of prayer - an empty plea for Hylia to give the spirit rest made out of tradition rather than sincerity. Some of them, maybe all of them, cursed the goddesses under their breath.

This Hyrule was marked by graves. They never visited the same place twice. The events of each death was too deeply ingrained into their minds. 

They were ready when the vertigo hit them. The bells tolled and the world swirled around them and the scorched field  of their recent battle gave way to familiar trees and a trampled clearing. They had begun to call the area the Landing because no matter where they were or what state they had been in or  even if the group was separated, they always reappeared at the same place together - fully restored with an oblivious Time waiting for them at the Ranch.

Wild pushed himself off Twilight, his ankle healed, and joined Hyrule at the head of the group. The pair had decided to go for a midnight expedition and had dragged the rest of the heroes with them - that was the cover story that Time was most likely to believe. They've had many times to refine it after all.

 Just as the Ranch was within sight, Twilight fell to his knees. 

"I can't." He choked. "I can't do this anymore."

Sky bent down to comfort him, placing a hand on his back. "Maybe we can change it this time around."

Twilight growled and smacked him away. "Really?! You really think that this will be any different from the other dozen times we've tried?!"

No one was keeping count. No one wanted to know how many times they had failed.

"Get up." Legend said coldly.

"No." Twilight said. "Not again. I'm not going to see him die again!"

Legend scowled then kicked Twilight across the face, sending him skidding across the dirt.

"Hey-" Four started.

"You think any of us like watching the old man die?!" Legend yelled.

Twilight got up quickly and pounced on Legend, pinning him to the ground. The others moved to tear the two apart before a brawl broke out.  Hyrule, Four and Sky held Legend back while Wild, Warriors and Wind attempted to restrain Twilight. 

"It's you're damn fault! It's your fucking Hyrule that keeps killing him!" Twilight screamed, thrashing about madly. "Why do you even have to exist?!"

Everyone froze. Twilight's eyes widened and his jaw hung open as he realised what he had just said.

Twilight stuttered, "I'm...I'm sorry I-"

"No, you're right. Our Hyrule is the one he keeps dying in." Hyrule said plainly. "Ours is the one where the Hero of Time failed. We exist only because Time died."

"But I shouldn't have-"

"It's the truth. There's no use denying it." Hyrule released his grip on Legend and begun walking ahead. "Come on, before they start to worry."

Neither he or Legend had told  them about the Fallen Hero. They hadn't seen a wisp of the ghost since the first time, when Time had been overtaken by the phantom injuries. 

Truly, that had been a mercy.

* * *

Time had been the graveyards before. They had been part of the cold reality he had learned of the world outside the Forest. People grew old. People died. It was a fact of life that he had yet to fully accept.

There was something different about this graveyard though. His mind tuned out Hyrule's explanation of the King's Tomb as he feet lead him further through the tombs. 

Time finally stopped at the very back of the graveyard, before a single headstone - old, weathered and completely overgrown with moss yet blank and identical to every other.

"This one's mine, isn't it?"

He didn't know what compelled him to say that but - 

Sky and Four preceded him.

Twilight was his direct descendant.

Wind came from the timeline he left.

Warriors had admitted that he was from a different time altogether.

Wild was so far into the future he could have come from all and none of their timelines.

As for Hyrule and Legend...

"Tell me about the Fallen Hero."

Time noted how mechanical, rehearsed, the other heroes were acting - Warriors leading Wind away to start camp while Four and Sky followed, Wild and Twilight stiffly leaving to hunt for dinner, even Legend and Hyrule were stilted in their conversation, as if they had said the same words over and over again.

"We don't blame you." Hyrule said firmly but Time couldn't ignore the tiredness in his voice.

TIme looked up at the sky and saw the full moon shining down on them. He heard the phantom echo of Termina's clock tower chime in his head. Three tolls that forever haunted his nightmares. It all clicked.

So this was what it was like being on the opposite end of a time loop.

* * *

Time said nothing to the other heroes as they planned their route for the day. When Hyrule pulled out his map, he immediately began crossing off places seemingly at random - villages, forests, ruins, rivers, mountains. Every so often Legend would nudge Hyrule's side and point out another place to cross out. That made sense, this was his Hyrule after all. What didn't was when any of the others had a say. They were trying to be subtle but Time noticed how their planned route didn't cross any areas Twilight had 'carelessly' brushed wolf hair over or the part where Wild 'accidentally' spilled some stew or that the entire corner that Wind had torn off when he grabbed the map didn't seem important even though it was an intersection between several major roads or Sky's 'clumsy' nudge of Hyrule's pencil had the line swoop around an entire forest. 

Soon there was a single path for their journey planned out. Time didn't comment on how wide and winding it was or that there was a main road that would lead them to their destination more quickly and efficiently.

As customary, Time lead the group alongside the local hero. Despite the sense of foreboding that permeated the land, he could help but feel energized. His bones didn't feel as sore as they normally did in the morning and he found himself outpacing the others more often than not.

They were travelling through a ravine, so deep that the sky was obscured by the fog overhead. 

"Are you sure it's safe to go through here?" Time asked. "We risk getting swept away by a flash flood. If there's a road that goes over the ravine-"

"NO!" the rest of the heroes shouted, though they all quickly looked away. 

"I heard news of monster sightings along those roads." Hyrule said. "This is the safer route."

Then Time saw it before anyone else could stop him. 

He saw a body lying prone by rocky walls of the ravine. 

Against better judgment, he went ahead to inspect it.

"No wait!" he heard one of the others, or maybe all of them, call.

But Time had already seen it.

It was a young man barely out of childhood, with blond hair and dressed in green. It was a body broken from falling from ridiculous heights with a deep gash running from its shoulder to opposite hit that ensured that they wouldn't live even if it did survive the fall. It was the scarless face, a nose too large and a jaw too sharp.

Time turned to find the others behind him, unadulterated shock and horror on their faces. 

"So how did I die this time?" 

Time was met with silence.

He straightened up, fully turning away from the corpse of his younger self and crossed his arms. "Well?"

His gaze fell on Twilight and his descendant began to stammer an explanation, "We were ambushed and - and you were fighting on a cliff - and then...then..."

"You fell." Legend said bluntly, though his voice choked as he tried to get the words out clearly.

"Ah." Was all Time could say.

* * *

They tried to explain the situation, about the deaging and the deaths and the loop they were all trapped in, but no one could find their voice. Their hands were all shaking and the tears were already flowing. 

Only Legend and Hyrule knew about the Fallen Hero. They hadn't told anybody and doing so now would only make the situation worse. 

They gave the body a quick burial and hurried out of the ravine, making an early camp the moment they exited. Wild was in no state to cook anything for dinner so they made do with a simple meal of bread and seared vegetables.

No one was talking and everyone refused to meet Time in the eye. He could leave it there and wait until someone was ready to talk. He could press the matter, he had every right to demand answers.

Instead, Time pulled out his ocarina and started playing the start of an old folk song to get the tune. 

"On his first day in Clock Town, Link met a dreadful fate," Time sang. "Cursed by Skull Kid with Deku Scrub traits."

He tried as coherently and upbeat as possible to recount his tales from Termina. He didn't tell them about the race against time, trying to soothe the volatile spirits of the masks, of knowing every detail of the townspeople's lives yet none of them remembering him, of days he just let the moon fall just so he could give his body a rest - no, none of that.

"On his second day in Clock Town, Link met an awkward chap dressed in spandex fairy clothes... and aggressively honking crude maps."

"Fuck Tingle." Wind said with a giggle.

Legend poorly held back a chuckle. "Yeah, fuck Tingle."

Four hummed in agreement while Warriors groaned as his head fell into his hands.

The mood had lightened from there. The gloom hadn't completely gone but it was significantly lighter than before.

* * *

"I can take first watch." Time insisted. "I'm feeling more energized and alert than normal."

That caused the others to flinch. 

Hyrule walked  up to the elder hero. He still had to look up to meet Time's eyes, his armour wasn't loose. Time at 'sixteen' was so short, just barely taller than Legend. 

They still had time. Time was still with them. If there was one thing that was consistent about this entire damn situation it was that Time always got younger before he was killed. Time was still an adult, he should be safe.

But -

_There was a shout that came too late. They all shook off sleep and grabbed their weapons as quickly as possible but the young Time was already surrounded and-_

"I'll take first watch." Hyrule said. "Please, just rest for now. We'll...we'll explain everything in the morning."

Time sighed but didn't argue. "I'll take second watch then," he said firmly.

Hyrule nodded but made a mental note to wake someone else up as well to keep watch with Time. 

As everyone else prepared for bed Hyrule took his post on an overhanging rock, the entire camp and some of the surrounding forest all within his view.

_"You should kill him, y'know."_

Hyrule swiftly turned around and drew his sword in a single motion. There was the translucent figure of a Young Time with clothes torn and bloodsoaked, bruises littering his exposed skin and a deep patch of red on his abdomen. However the figure then shifted and reformed to the shape of a small child in green without a single injury in sight. 

The ghost looked slightly unnerved that he had caught a glimpse of his other form but tried to play it off. _"You have a faster reaction time than I thought."_

"Fallen Hero." Hyrule said, re-sheathing his sword. "Why are you here?"

 _"Other me knows now."_ the shade said, rocking back and forth on his heels. 

"That doesn't mean I should kill him!" Hyrule harshly whispered. He couldn't wake the others. "I don't - I can't..."

 _"There was at least one time where you had to."_ the shade pointed out. " _There was a time for all of you."_

"But Time's still himself! He hasn't - it's not..." Hyrule sighed and slumped back. He was tired, tired of this entire mess. "What's happening?"

" _Other me is still me and I am dead here."_ The Fallen Hero said, repeating his words from many nights ago. " _This timeline exists solely because I died. Other me being alive disrupts the flow of time. It's simply trying to correct itself."_

"But why the loop?" Hyrule asked. "Why do we keep getting dragged back here?"

 _"Because of the other timelines. There's a timeline where the hero succeeds and grows old and has a family..._ " A bitterness coloured the Fallen Hero's words, " _...that timeline won't let him stay dead but this timeline can't let him stay alive, so it loops. I tried helping but..."_

The shade shrugged and Hyrule couldn't help the sinking feeling that was growing in his stomach.

"Can't you help again?" Hyrule pleaded.

The Fallen Hero sighed. _"It's too late for that. The flows of time are too deep in their game of tug-o-war for me to do anything now...you're better off just killing him."_

"Why?!" 

_"Have you ever seen what happens if he died before the timeline killed him?"_

Hyrule scowled and looked away. "I'm not going to do it. We're not going to do it. We'll find another way."

When no response came, Hyrule turned back to find that the ghost had vanished. He was alone once again on the lonely rock.

* * *

The shade reformed at the bottom of the rock where his other self, the one who succeeded, was waiting. 

 _"You'd better be quick."_ The Fallen Hero said. " _My successors are very perceptive."_

"Your successors." Time said, slightly amused.

The ghostly child grinned. " _You have the Hero of Twilight and the Hero of Wind. I have the Hero of Legend and the Hero of Hyrule. I'm proud of my successors."_

"...I'm sorry." Time said suddenly.

The Fallen Hero gave a childish scowl. _"You have nothing to be sorry about. You succeed. I failed. That's what set in stone and there's nothing changing it."_

Time sighed. "It's not fair."

" _It never is."_ The shade said, mimicking his sigh.

"Will I remember any of this?" Time asked. 

 _"I don't know."_ the Fallen Hero admitted. _"I don't know if this will even work but...but-"_

"They've suffered through enough."

* * *

Hyrule didn't remember falling asleep but he definitely remembered waking up with the others in a forest clearing that was too familiar.

"Where's Time?" Twilight demanded. 

They were back in the Landing and Time was nowhere in sight.

"Was there an attack? Ambush?"

"He wasn't even a kid yet!"

There was a rustle in the bushes and they all leaped to action. 

Emerging from the forest was Time - still an adult, dressed in his farm clothes and a pitchfork over his shoulder. 

"There you boys are." Time said. "You know you're welcome to sleep inside, right? Our home isn't so small that it can't host the lot of - is something the matter?"

The other heroes didn't bother to disguise the unadulterated horror on their faces. 

They realised what Time had done.


End file.
